The 2025 MLB season is full and the Dodgers are World Collection champions. They got here again to defeat the Blue Jays in seven video games to clinch the franchise’s ninth championship. Both the Blue Jays had been going to win their first World Collection since their back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993, or the Dodgers had been going to grow to be baseball’s first repeat champion for the reason that 1998-2000 Yankees. One thing that hadn’t occurred in a very long time was going to occur both method, and it went L.A’s method.
With the World Collection now full, the 2025-26 offseason has formally begun, and several other important occasions are proper across the nook. Right here are the vital dates and deadlines for the approaching weeks and months.
Nov. 2: Gamers grow to be free brokers, buying and selling resumes
As of 9 a.m. ET on Sunday, eligible gamers (i.e. these with at least six years of service time) are free brokers. Free brokers can’t signal with new groups simply but. They must wait 5 days for that. The primary 5 days of the offseason are an unique negotiating interval throughout which free brokers can solely discuss cash with their most up-to-date crew. Only a few gamers re-sign throughout the unique negotiating interval. Edwin Díaz three years in the past is by far probably the most notable in latest reminiscence. As soon as gamers get this near free company, they usually take a look at the market. Trades concerned 40-man roster gamers resume on this present day as nicely for the primary time for the reason that summer time’s commerce deadline.
Nov. 2: Gold Glove winners introduced
This yr’s Gold Glove winners might be introduced throughout an ESPN broadcast at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Chicago Cubs (six) and Blue Jays (six) lead all groups for finalists. Along with the 9 particular person positions in every league, there’s additionally a utility Gold Glove and a crew Gold Glove.
Nov. 6: Contract choice choices
Most contract choice choices are due on this date. Some contracts specify a distinct date (the Yankees needed to decide on Zack Britton’s 2022 membership choice in November 2020, for instance), however the huge majority must be made inside 5 days of the tip of the World Collection. Membership choices are managed by the crew, participant choices and opt-outs are managed by the participant, and mutual choices are type of pointless. They are a approach to shift cash to the following yr’s payroll greater than something.
Some choice choices are no-brainers, like Pete Alonso opting out of his $24 million wage with the Mets or the Brewers choosing up their $8 million membership choice for Freddy Peralta. This offseason’s notable contract choice choices embrace Alex Bregman (can decide out of remaining two years and $80 million) and Max Muncy ($10 million membership choice).
Nov. 6: Deadline to make the qualifying provide
The qualifying provide is a one-year contract definitely worth the common of the highest 125 salaries, or $22.025 million this offseason, based on the Related Press. To be eligible for the qualifying provide, a free agent should have spent the complete 2025 season with one crew and have by no means obtained the QO beforehand. The Blue Jays could make Bo Bichette the qualifying provide, however the Mariners can’t do the identical with Eugenio Suárez as a result of he was traded at midseason.
Nov. 6: Free company begins
The five-day unique negotiating interval ends and free brokers are really free. They will negotiate and signal with any crew as of this date. That mentioned, very similar to the common season, MLB’s free company is a marathon, not a dash. We (in all probability) will not see a rush of signings on Day 1 as a result of MLB will not be a salary-capped league, and free brokers aren’t nervous about getting ignored within the chilly when cap house runs out.
Nov. 6-7: Silver Sluggers introduced
If Silver Sluggers are your factor, these are the dates for you. And sure, that is dates, plural. It is a two-day announcement now. NL Silver Sluggers on Nov. 6, AL Silver Sluggers on Nov. 7. Three years in the past a utility participant Silver Slugger was added, then two years in the past MLB and Louisville debuted a crew Silver Slugger. Finalists embrace Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cal Raleigh, and Aaron Choose.
Nov. 10-13: Awards week
That’s Rookies of the 12 months on Monday, Managers of the 12 months on Tuesday, Cy Youngs on Wednesday, and MVPs on Thursday. The awards might be introduced throughout an MLB Community broadcast every day. Your CBS Sports activities employees already picked our winners. As a reminder, these are regular-season awards. Votes had been solid earlier than the postseason. The All-MLB Crew, Comeback Gamers of the 12 months, and Relievers of the 12 months can even be introduced on Nov. 13.
Nov. 11-13: GM Conferences in Las Vegas
Typically talking, the GM Conferences are used to deal with off-the-field issues like rule adjustments, however if you put all 30 GMs in a single place, offers inevitably get mentioned and generally accomplished. Jose Siri was traded from the Rays to the Mets eventually yr’s GM Conferences, for instance. Additionally, the groundwork is usually laid for trades which can be accomplished at a later date.
Nov. 18: Qualifying provide choices
The deadline free of charge brokers to simply accept or reject the qualifying provide is 4 p.m. ET. Gamers who settle for the qualifying provide signal that one-year, $22.025 million contract and stay with their crew (and can’t be traded till June 15 with out their consent). Free brokers who reject the qualifying provide are hooked up to draft-pick compensation. Their former crew receives a draft decide in the event that they signal elsewhere, and their new crew has to forfeit a draft decide (or a number of) and in some circumstances worldwide bonus cash. Kyle Tucker and Kyle Schwarber are among the many free brokers who will certainly reject the qualifying provide and signal extra profitable contracts this offseason.
Nov. 18: Deadline to file reserve lists
That may be a fancy method of claiming that is the deadline for groups to add eligible minor leaguers to the 40-man roster to guard them from the Rule 5 Draft. Typically talking, school gamers drafted no later than 2022 and highschool gamers drafted no later than 2021 are Rule 5 Draft eligible this winter, as are gamers signed internationally no later than 2021. Among the many notable Rule 5 Draft eligible prospects this offseason are Phillies righty Andrew Painter and Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones. These two and lots of others might be added to the 40-man roster on this date. It ought to be famous there are often a number of minor trades within the days main as much as the Rule 5 Draft safety deadline as groups get their 40-man roster so as. Three years in the past, the Rays traded Xavier Edwards to the Marlins at this deadline.
Nov. 18-20: Homeowners conferences in New York
The quarterly homeowners conferences cowl big-picture enterprise issues and are hardly ever a supply of scorching range information or rumors. Two years in the past, the homeowners voted on and accredited the Athletics‘ proposed relocation to Las Vegas at their November conferences. The collective bargaining settlement is ready to run out after the 2026 season and negotiations with the MLB Gamers Affiliation will start quickly. The November homeowners conferences will seemingly for use to debate technique and plan out negotiations, and so on.
Nov. 21: Non-tender deadline
That is the deadline for groups to supply their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible gamers a contract for 2026. Contracts would not have to be signed but. A suggestion simply must be prolonged. Gamers who don’t obtain a contract provide earlier than the deadline are thought-about “non-tendered” and instantly grow to be free brokers. Notable gamers are non-tendered each offseason as groups decide their wage outweighs their efficiency and the commerce market turns up nothing worthwhile. Austin Hays and Kyle Finnegan had been among the many gamers non-tendered final offseason.
Early December: Aggressive stability draft picks assigned
These are the additional draft picks given every year to groups that fall within the backside 10 in income and/or market dimension. There’s overlap between the 2 teams, so there are usually 14-15 aggressive stability picks awarded every year, not 20. Aggressive stability picks are MLB’s solely tradeable draft picks. Final offseason, picks had been included within the Gavin Lux and Josh Naylor trades.
Dec. 7: Corridor of Fame’s Up to date Baseball Committee outcomes
The Corridor of Fame’s Up to date Baseball Committee voting outcomes might be introduced throughout an MLB Community broadcast. The Corridor of Fame has restructured its veteran committee 3 times within the final 13 years and the Up to date Baseball Committee considers “gamers who made their biggest influence on the sport since 1980.” The eight-person poll, which might embrace Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, might be revealed in November.
Dec. 7-10: Winter Conferences in Orlando
That is usually when all scorching range hell breaks unfastened. The Winter Conferences are the busiest interval of the offseason and have loads of trades, free-agent signings, and rumors. It’s three-plus days of nonstop scorching range motion. Traditionally, the largest strikes of the offseason are accomplished on the Winter Conferences. GMs can discuss face-to-face with brokers and different GMs to get issues accomplished. Final yr, Willy Adames, Max Fried, and Juan Soto signed throughout the Winter Conferences whereas Jake Burger, Garrett Crochet, and Andrés Giménez had been amongst these traded.
Dec. 9: 2026 Draft lottery
In an effort to curb tanking, MLB and the MLBPA agreed to a lottery to find out the highest six picks of the annual novice draft as a part of the present collective bargaining settlement. The 18 non-playoff groups every have a shot on the No. 1 decide, although the worst groups have the highest odds. Listed here are this yr’s odds for the No. 1 choice within the 2026 draft (by way of MLB.com):
Groups that pay into income sharing can’t choose within the lottery in back-to-back years, so the Nationals (No. 1 decide in 2025) and Angels (No. 2 decide) usually are not eligible for the lottery this yr. The Rockies, in the meantime, can’t get a lottery decide this yr as a result of groups that obtain income sharing can’t decide within the lottery in three consecutive years. They’d the No. 3 decide in 2024 and the No. 4 decide in 2025. The Angels, Nationals, and Rockies can’t decide larger than No. 10 total in 2026.
The lottery determines the highest six draft picks. Picks 7-18 are the remaining non-playoff groups in reverse order of the standings. Picks 19-30 are the 12 postseason groups ordered by their end, with the Wild Card Collection losers coming first and the World Collection winner choosing final. The lottery might be broadcast on MLB Community.
Dec. 10: Rule 5 Draft
By rule, gamers chosen within the Rule 5 Draft should stay on their new crew’s MLB roster all season in 2026, in any other case they should undergo waivers and be supplied again to their unique crew. Groups do not typically discover difference-makers within the Rule 5 Draft. They often search for center relievers, platoon bats, and lottery tickets. Most Rule 5 Draft picks do not stick and wind up again with their unique crew. Final offseason’s notable Rule 5 Draft choice was White Sox righty Shane Smith, who was chosen from the Brewers and went to the All-Star Recreation.
Jan. 9: Arbitration submitting deadline
That is the deadline for groups and arbitration-eligible gamers to submit wage figures for 2026. The participant information what he believes he ought to be paid whereas the crew information what it believes the participant ought to be paid. This date is just the submitting deadline and the two sides can nonetheless comply with a contract of any dimension even after submitting wage figures. The huge majority of arbitration-eligible gamers agree to a contract earlier than the submitting deadline and keep away from this headache. MLB Commerce Rumors launched their 2026 wage arbitration projections final month.
Jan. 15: Worldwide signal interval opens
The 2026 worldwide novice signing interval opens at 9 a.m. ET. The annual signing interval used to run from July 2 to June 25, although MLB and the MLBPA agreed to push the beginning of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 signing durations again to the next January due to the pandemic, and now the January begin is everlasting and the signing interval is neatly confined to a single calendar yr. MLB Pipeline has a useful rating of the highest 50 worldwide prospects for 2026. Final offseason, Roki Sasaki signed with the Dodgers shortly after the signing interval opened.
Jan. 20: Corridor of Fame class introduced
The 2026 Corridor of Fame class might be introduced throughout a stay MLB Community broadcast. The Corridor of Fame poll might be revealed in mid-to-late November, votes are compiled over the following weeks, then the outcomes are introduced in January. Newcomers to this yr’s poll embrace Cole Hamels and Ryan Braun. That is Manny Ramirez’s tenth and last yr of eligibility. That is additionally 12 months 4 on the poll for Carlos Beltrán, 12 months 5 on the poll for Alex Rodriguez, and 12 months 9 for Andruw Jones. Amongst holdovers, Beltrán was the closest to getting in with out really getting in final yr. He obtained 70.3% of the vote, simply shy of the 75% wanted for induction. Beltrán and Jones seem to have the very best probability to get into the Corridor of Fame this voting cycle.
Jan. 26 to Feb. 20: Arbitration hearings
Inevitably, just a few arbitration-eligible gamers and their groups might be unable to come back to phrases on a contract, and wind up in entrance of an arbitration panel. Both sides states their case — hearings can be contentious as a result of the crew will define the participant’s shortcomings and clarify why he deserves a decrease wage than he believes — and the three-person panel picks both the wage the participant filed or the wage the crew filed again on Jan. 9. Nothing in between. Once more, groups and gamers can work out a contract of any dimension previous to a listening to, even after submitting wage figures. Brendan Donovan, Nathaniel Lowe, and Lars Nootbaar had been among the many gamers to go to an arbitration listening to final offseason.
Mid-February: Spring coaching begins
Spring coaching camps open throughout Arizona and Florida within the center of February. Every crew units their very own reporting dates for pitchers and catchers after which place gamers, although they’re going to all be up and working by the second full week of February. Cactus League and Grapefruit League exhibition video games will start roughly 10 days after pitchers and catchers report.
March 5-17: World Baseball Traditional
The World Baseball Traditional returns subsequent spring and the video games will start with Pool C in Tokyo on March 5. Pool A (Puerto Rico), Pool B (Houston), and Pool D (Miami) start play on March 6. The WBC swimming pools and schedule are already set. The Championship Recreation will performed in Miami on March 17. Will we get an ending as traditional because the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout showdown in 2023? We will solely hope.
March 25: Opening Day!
However solely type of. There’s one recreation on the schedule March 25: Yankees vs. Giants at Oracle Park. That one Opening Evening recreation will kick off the brand new season, then the opposite 28 groups will start play with the standard Opening Day on Thursday, March 26. We beforehand broke down every part it’s good to know in regards to the schedule.
